The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-04-23

of common knowledge. Onr navy,
in part and in whole, is wonderful
conglomeration, a remarkable jun"
BILE, prodigious makeup The like
the world has never seen before,
and if Allah be merciful, never will |
again.
Writing about our navy, and
admiring it, and contemplating its
probable accomplishments, bring
wildly to mind half-forgotten ex-
periences of long years ago, in the
northern regions of Australia, near
the gulf of Carpentaria. A Cap
tain Finnis was sent up there from
Southern Australia, to form settle
ment and establish colony. The
safety of the camp was duly secured
against the incursions of the blacks
by night patrol. Some curious and
desperate encounters took place in
side the Notifications, owing to the
extreme vigilance of the guards and
the rigid discipline of the Com
mander-in-Ch Chief. On one occasion
fellow, getting up with the night
mare, discharged the barrels of two
revolvers among his sleeping COM
panions, under the impression that
he was struggling with an army of
natives. On another occasion the
whole force turned out to night
alarm, and for several hours main
tained an unremitting and destruc-
tive fire on the stump of tree,
which, however, bravely held its
ground, till the approach of daylight
put All end to the gallant struggle.
When promotions were being made
for that "stump affair."" great
jealousy arose on the point of who
should be cooks mate.
One cloudy night, at the COM
mencement of the rainy season, q
corporal who had been promoted
from the Bullock-dray Brigate to the
Quart-pot Company of the Pannikn
Pioneers, was on guard near the
cooking tent. The night being
showery, the corporal sat upon a log
TO escape the mud, and shut his eyes
to keep out the rain. Being very
energetic man, he occasionally fell
off his perch to prove himself an
active guardian. When picking him
self up after a fall, he thought he
perceived figure creep into the
cooking tent. Cautiously advancing
to the place, and gently lifting the
canvas, he peeped under to ascertain
the intentions of the foe. The tent
contained long table and benches,
some boxes and cooking utensils,
and on log stood a two-hundred
pound bag of -four, supported by
the edge of the table. The corporal
peered around in the uncertain light,
and distinctly saw man leaning
over the table, as he suspected, con-
templating his prey. He now crept
into the tent, keeping his eye on the
intruder, whom he clearly identified
as a native. Drawing his revolver
and STOPPING low to avoid being
seen, he made regular bull rush
fired his artillery, and came head
foremost against the bag of flour
which, being over-balanced by the
blow, fell forward upon the corporal
and buried him in the general ruir
of the bread market. With bench
on one side, box on the other, an6
two hundred pounds of flour on top
the corporal was captive. Nothing
less than half tribe Of wild blacks
could have had the audacity tC
threaten his life. So he struggled
and shouted for help. The guar(
rushed in; the whole camp turned
: out; the bugles sounded; the Com
mander-in-Chief appeared in a cooked
hat, three swords, and no breeches
, and read the articles of war and til,
Riot Act; the corporal was rescued
from the cruel grasp of his inhexibl'
enemy, and everybody was aston
ished to find that the greatest hero
of the settlement had been engaged
in desperate encounter with q bas
of flour, and got decidedly the wors
of it. The returns of killed ant
wounded showed the corporal will
his nose smashed, and the bag OF
: flour mortally wounded in tht
stomach with pistol shot. Tht
former was at once promoted to tho
, Office of bottle-washer, and decor
| ated by an opprobrious nickname
On the following day general ordel